Method of manufacturing plates for secondary batteries.



NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. CHRISTIAN, OF CLEVELAND OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES HERBERT TAYLOR, OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PLATES FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,695, dated September 9, 1902. Application filed December '7, 1901. $eria1 No. 85,074- (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern: lead andchanges the red lead to lead peroxid.

Be it known thatI,GEORGE H. CHRISTIAN, a Instead of conducting such deoxidation in citizen of the United States, and a resident of either of the above-described processes in an Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of electrolyte containing sulfuric acid I substi- 5 Ohio,haveinvented a newand usefulImprovetute therefor an electrolyte containing an orinentin Methods of Manufacturing Plates for ganic reducing agent, as a solution of an or- Secondary Batteries, of which the followingis ganic acid, such as oxalic or formic, or a aspecification, the principle of the invention compound of such acid with an alkaline being herein explained and the best mode in earth-such as oxalate of potassium, oxalate 10 which Ihave contemplated applying that prinof sodium, the. A solution of oxalic acid and ciple, so as to distinguish it from other invenwater is preferably used, the oxalic acid betions. ing prepared in solution of aboutone part of My invention relates to the manufacture of acid to eight of water or one pound of acid to secondary batteries, and is particularly dione gallon of water, the water used being of I5 rooted to the preparation of the spongy-lead a temperature of from 65 to Fahrenheit. element of such batteries wherein it is neces- The peroxid plates are suspended in such sary to convert the lead oxid previously electrolyte so as to form the cathodes, plain formed or existing into spongy lead. lead plates being used for the anodes. Upon The following description sets forth in dethe passage of the current, which is pref- 70 2o tail one mode of carrying out the invention, erably of about one-half ampere per square such disclosed mode constituting but one of inch of plate-surface, the peroxid is rapidly various Ways in which the principle of the indeoxidized, forming spongy'lead, and in the vention may be used. In one method of carordinary five-inch by seven-inch plates is com rying out such process at present practiced plated in about seven to twelve hours. The

25 grooved lead plates are suspended as elecsolution is maintained at the above-named trodes in an electrolytic bath the electrolyte strength during the electrolytic action by in which is composed of asolution of sulfuric continually adding, as is required, crystals and nitric acids and ammonium hydrate and of oxalic acid to replace that decomposed by then ele'ctrolyzed. The resultant electrolytic the electrolysis. The plain lead sheets should 0 action effects the dissolution of the lead of be about one thirty-second of an inch thickthe cathode-plates and the formation of a deness, of the same width as the peroxid plates, posit of lead peroXid upon the anode-plates. and separated from the latter by hard-rubber These peroxid plates are next suspended as strips or bars about one-eighth'inch in diamelectrodes in an electrolytic bath containing eter or one-eighth inch by one-fourth inch 35 an electrolyte composed of dilute sulfuric to preventshort-circuiting. The spongy-lead acid and then electrolyzed, the electrolytic plates are then removed from the electrolytic action converting the peroxid upon the negabath, immersed in a bath of running water, tive electrodeintospongy lead. This process and permitted to remain therein for about of deoxidation is slow and tedious, occupying twelve hours in order to thoroughly remove 40 about seventeen days for the size of plate orthe carbonic acid formed and oxalic acid redinarily used, and must be conducted with maining in the pores of the lead. The spongycare as to the quality of the current used, an lead plates are now ready for use in the secimproper use of the current or the use of an ondary battery. By this means I have found improper current reducing the efficiency of that spongy-lead plates having superior phys- 5 45 the resulting plate. In a second method at ical and electrical qualities with less loss'of present practiced plates provided with lithactive materialare produced,a Wider variation arge and red lead are respectively caused to in the qualities of the current used being perconstitute the cathode and anode of an elecmitted, such plates havingagreater electrical trolytic cell having an electrolyte consisting capacity per pound of lead than plates here- 50 of dilute sulfuric acid. The resultant electofore manufactured by other methods.

trolysis deoxidizes the litharge to form spongy The results obtained show a marked economical gain in the plate eiiiciency, where myinvention is employed in connection with red lead, litharge, and all other compounds of lead and oxygen other than peroxid.

It is my purpose to make separate application for United States Letters Patent on and specifically claim the method of manufacturing these plates by the use of compounds of organic acids, such as are above mentioned.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the process herein disclosed, provided the steps stated by any one of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated steps be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention- 1. In the process of manufacturing plates for secondary batteries, the step which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing an oxid of lead in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte containing an organic reducing agent.

2. In the process of manufacturing plates for secondary batteries, the step which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing an oxid of lead in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte containing an organic acid.

3. In the process of manufacturing plates for secondary batteries, the step which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing an oxid of lead at the cathode of an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte containing an organic acid.

4. The process of converting an oXid of lead into spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte containing an organic reducing agent.

5. The process of converting an oxid of lead into spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oXid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte containing an organic acid.

6. The process of converting an oxid of lead into spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte containing oxalic acid.

7. The process of manufacturing spongylead plates for secondary batteries, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing an oXid of lead in an electrolytic bath having an electrolyte containing an organic reducing agent, and strengthening such electrolyte periodically by addition of such agent as electrolysis progresses.

8. The process of manufacturing spongylead plates for secondary batteries which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing an oxid of lead in an electrolytic bath having an electrolyte containing an organic acid, and strengthening such electrolyte periodically by addition of such acid as deoXidation progresses.

9. The process of manufacturing spongylead plates for secondary batteries which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing an oxid of lead in an electrolytic bath having an electrolyte containing oxalic acid, and strengthening such electrolyte periodically by addition of such acid, as deoxidation progresses.

10. The process of manufacturing spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing lead peroxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte containing an organic reducing agent.

11. The process of manufacturing spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing lead peroxid in an electrolytic cell havin g an electrolyte containing an organic acid.

12., The process of manufacturing spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing lead peroxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte containing oxalic acid.

13. The step in the process of manufacturing secondary batteries, which consists in the deoxidation of an oxid of lead by means of electrolysis in a bath containing an organic acid.

14:. The step in the process of manufacturing secondary batteries, which consists in the deoxidation of an oxid of lead by means of electrolysis in a bath containing oxalic acid.

15. The process of converting an oXid of lead into spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oXid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte composed of a solution of water and an organic reducing agent.

16. The process of converting an oxid of lead into spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte composed of a solution of water and an organic acid.

17. The process of converting an oxid of lead into spongy lead which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte composed of a solution of an organic reducing agent.

18. The process of converting an oxid of lead into spongy lead which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte composed of a solution of an organic acid.

19. The process of converting an maid of lead into spongy lead which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte composed of a solution of oxalic acid.

20. The process of converting an oxid of lead into spongy lead, which consists in electrolytically deoxidizing such oxid in an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte composed of a solution of water and oxalic acid.

Signed by me this 2d day of December,

GEO. H. CHRISTIAN. Attest:

WM. I-l. TRICKER, ADELE TRICKER. 

